Method and apparatus for dispensing extra-length cigarette packages from machines designed for ordinary-length packages



July 1, 1969 F. GALLO 3,452,900

7 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING EXTRA-LENGTH CIGARETTE PACKAGES FROM MACHINES DESIGNED FOR ORDINARY-LENGTH PACKAGES Filed July 17, 1967 Sheet' 1 -of3 g1- INVENTOR.

Frank alio' BY Alai'i'ern Ware efiavis I firrmmi'ze 3,452,900 GARETTE F. GALLO July 1, 1969 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING EXTRALENGTH CI PACKAGES FROM MACHINES DESIGNED FOR ORDINARY-LENGTH PACKAGES Sheet 3 Filed July 17, 1967 INVENTOR. flan Z 'al/a United States Patent ()1 3,452,900 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING EXTRA-LENGTH CIGARETTE PACKAGES FROM MACHINES DESIGNED FOR ORDI- NARY-LENGTH PACKAGES Frank Gallo, 34 Grace St., New Canaan, Conn. 06840 Filed July 17, 1967, Ser. No. 653,915 Int. Cl. B65g 1/08, 47/82; A47f N US. Cl. 221251 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to an adapter for enabling conventional vending machines to dispense extra-length packages. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to an adapter for converting a standard cigarette vending machine to handle hundred millimeter cigarette packages with a minimum of conversion cost and expense.

A large and increasing number of products are presently being vended in automatic vending machines. The products are typically gravity fed down a supply chute, with the lowermost package being ejected through a forwardly facing slot. When the lowest package has been ejected, the remaining column of packages drops under the influence of gravity to feed a new package into the lowermost position. The dimensions of the chute are usually selected so that the packages lie horizontally stacked on top of one another, resting on their largest area surfaces. Typical of such prior vending practice is the standard cigarette machine. Occasions arise when it is desirable to adapt the vending machine to handle packages which are somewhat longer than those for which the chute dimensions were originally cosen. Applicant has discovered that a standard cigarette vending machine can be converted to successfully vend the hundred-millimeter cigarette packages, even though the chute dimensions were originally chosen for a shorter length package.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a meth-- od for vending extra-length packages in a standard vending machine.

A further object is to provide an adapter mechanism for standard vending machines, which adapts the vending machine to handle extra-length packages.

A further object is to provide an adapter mechanism of the above character which permits successful handling and vending of extra-length cigarette packages in standard vending machines.

A further object is to provide an adapter mechanism of the above character which requires a minimum of modification of the standard vending machine.

A further object is to provide an adapter mechanism of the above character which permits the stacked packages to properly fall into position for vending.

A further object is to provide an adapter mechanism of the above character which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

3,452,900 Patented July 1, 1969 hce The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a simplified perspective view of a typical vending machine according to the prior art;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the FIGURE 1 machine, with the cover removed, and partly broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are sectional views similar to FIG- URE 6, showing various steps in the operation of the mechanism.

Description FIGURE 1 shows a generalized cigarette vending machine 20 of an exemplary type, with which may be used the present invention. The illustrated cigarette machine is model Corsair 30, produced by the Continental Vending Machine Co., Westbury, NY. It should be understood that the invention is applicable to other types of vending machine. Machine 20 in FIGURE 1 includes a plurality of selector buttons 22, and a delivery chute 24. The invention will be described with reference to FIGURES 2-8, which are drawn to scale.

As best shown in FIGURES 5-8, machine 20 includes a plurality of vertical gravity-feed chutes 28, each of which is defined by a forward wall 30, a rear Wall 32, side walls 34 and 36 and a bottom surface 38. Forward wall 30 terminates in lower edge 40 above bottom surface 38, to define therewith a forwardly facing delivery slot through which the lowermost package may be e ected. As shown in FIGURE 6, the dimensions of the chute are such that hundred-millimeter packages cannot be stacked horizontally therein: only lowermost package 42 can lie approximately horizontally on bottom surface 38, with its front surface 44 protruding through the delivery slot.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 6-8, lowermost package 42 of a selected chute 28 may be ejected through the delivery slot by a conventional ejection assembly 46, which includes a horizontal shaft 48 underlying the several chutes. An arm 50 has its lower end pivotally mounted on shaft 48, and has a series of fingers 52 pivoted on a transverse angle iron 53 mounted on its upper end. Each finger 52 underlies a corresponding chute 28. Arm 50 is pivoted from its rear or retracted position shown in the solid lines in FIGURE :3 to its forward position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3 by link 54 driven by a nonillustrated solenoid. When arm '50 is pivoted forward to eject the lowermost package, the appropriate finger 52 is extended by a non-illustrated solenoid through a suitable slot 55 in bottom surface 38 to a position substantially parallel with arm 50-, to engage the rear of lowermost package 42 and propel package 42 forwardly out of the slot as arm 50 pivots forward. Finger 52 may then be retracted to clear the next package as arm 50 is returned to its retracted position. An angle iron support member 56 is spaced in front of and slightly below bottom surface 38 to support and guide package 42 during the ejection operation. Package 42 then falls, guided by conventional chuting 57, to a position where the customer can retrieve it.

A horiozntal shaft 58 extends above and in front of the delivery slot, and carries a depending escrow gate 60, which may be in the form of an angle iron attached to shaft 58. As the package is ejected, it engages and rotates gate 60 and shaft 58 in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 6-8 (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG- URE 4). An actuating arm 62, fixed to shaft 58, lowers a finger 64, actuating an escrow microswitch 66 and signalling the machine that the package has been ejected. As is conventional, actuation of escrow microswitch 66 may be used as a signal to drop the coins in a coin receptacle (not illustrated). Ending of the microswitch actuation may also retract finger 52 before arm 50 is retracted so as not to interfere with the falling packages in the feed chute 28. Arm 62 may be spring-loaded in the clockwise direction (as viewed in FIGURE 4) by spring 68 attached between the opposite end of arm 62 and a point on the frame of the machine.

The apparatus as thus far described is conventional. Referring to FIGURE 6, the dimensions of the conventional cigarette machine chute are such that the second lowermost hundred-millimeter cigarette package 70 lies diagonally in the chute with its front surface 72 lower than its rear surface 74. Package 70 rests with one edge 76 on the upper surface of package 42. The third lowermost package 78 is inclined in the chute parallel to package 70 and resting thereon. All further packages above third lowermost package 78 similarly lie diagonally in the chute, resting on the package beneath, with their respective front surfaces lower than their rear surfaces. If it were attempted to operate the machine as thus far described, when lowermost package 42 would be ejected sufliciently far forward to clear lower edge 76 of package 70, packages 70, 78 and all higher packages would fall at the same time. Package 78 and those packages resting thereon would on occasion interfere with the necessary sliding and rotation of package 70 into the prop er substantially horizontal position in the bottom of the chute, with end 72 protruding out the delivery slot.

According to the present invention, support means are provided for supporting package 78 and all those packages resting thereon, until package 70 has fallen and shifted into the proper position on surface 38. The preferred exemplary embodiment of applicants support means includes shaft 80 journalled in supports 82 (FIG- URES 1 and and extending generally horizontally above the several delivery slots. Th left end of shaft 80 is cranked downwardly and rearwardly (FIGURES 3 and 5) to terminate in an eye portion 8 4. Spring 86, hooked between eye portion 84 and the frame, resiliently urges shaft 80 to pivot in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 6-8.

The several forward walls 30 have formed therein apertures 88 (FIGURE 2) beneath and to the rear of shaft 80 and aligned with the lower front surfaces 90 (FIG- URE 6) of third lowermost packages 78. An angle iron 92 is rigidly attached to shaft 80, and has mounted thereon a series of depending fingers 94 (FIGURES 2 and 6), each of which is aligned with a corresponding aperture 88. When shaft 80 rotates counter-clockwise as viewed in FIGURES 6-8, fingers 94 enter the chutes 28 through the respective apertures 88 to engage the front surfaces 90 of the third lowermost packages 78, thus supporting packages 78 while the appropriate package 70 falls and rotates to lie on the bottom surface 38. Fingers 94 need be supplied only for those chutes 28 in which extra-length packages are to be handled.

Synchronization of the movement of fingers 94 with the remainder of the machine is achieved in the illustrated embodiment with the mechanism best shown in FIG- URES 3 and 5. A cam 96 is journalled on shaft 58, and includes a lower cam surface 98 extending downwardly and rearwardly for engagement with the upper edge 100 of angle iron 53. A link 102 in the form of an inverted L is rigidly attached to cam 96, and extends upwardly from shaft 58 to the side of downwardly cranked portion of shaft 80. The upper end of link 102 terminates in a pair of horizontal tabs 104 defining a slot for receiving the downwardly cranked portion of shaft 80. Link 102 therefore couples shaft 80 for movement with cam 96.

In the particular vending machine illustrated, the original rear wall 32 of each chute 28 was formed by a narrow, vertical tab formed integrally with side wall 36. The right rear corner of the packages was thus not properly supported. As shown in FIGURES 5 and 7, a vertical sheet metal strip 106 may be attached to a frame member 108, to provide support for this section of the package. As a further perfecting feature, somewhat more reliable operation is achieved if package falls to a bottom surface which is slightly inclined so that its front edge is somewhat lower than its rear edge. In the illustrated embodiment (see FIGURES 5 and 6-8), this is achieved with an inclined sheet metal clip 110 attached to the original bottom surface 38 of the chute.

Operation In response to insertion of appropriate coins and actuation of a selector button 22, arm 50 is pivoted forwardly (to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3), while the appropriate finger 52 is extended to engage the rear surface of lowermost package 42 in a particular chute 28. Movement of arm 50 and movement of the selected finger 52 may be accomplished with conventional non-illustrated solenoids, as noted above. As arm 50 moves forward to eject the selected lowermost package 42, upper edge 100 permits cam 96 to pivot clockwise as viewed in FIG- URE 3.

The upper end of link 102 thus moves to the rear, permitting the downwardly cranked portion of shaft to move rearwardly under the urging of spring 86. This pivots shaft 80 in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 6-8. As shaft 80 pivots counter-clockwise, depending fingers 94 enter through apertures 88 to engage the front end surfaces of the third lowermost packages 78, as shown in FIGURE 7. Finger 52 continues to eject lowermost package 42. When package 42 has been moved sufiiciently far to clear edge 76 of package 70, package 70 begins to fall downwardly in the chute until edge 76 strikes bottom surface 38, with package 78 supported in a non-interfering position by finger 94. When edge 76 strikes bottom surface 38, package 70 continues to fall with front surface 90 moving forwardly to protrude beneath lower edge 40 of front wall 30 to the position shown in FIGURE 8. During this latter movement, package 70 pivots about edge 76, which in turn is sliding forwardly on bottom surface 38, until package 70 rests on bottom surface 38.

As package 42 clears escrow gate 60 and falls into the delivery chutes for access by the customer, gate 60 pivots counterclockwise (as viewed in FIGURES 7 and 8) retracting finger 42 to a position which will not interfere with package 70.

As arm 50 is retracted, cam surface 98 of cam 96 rides on upper edge of angle iron 53, pivoting cam 96 and link 102 in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3. This rotates shaft 80 in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 6-8, withdrawing fingers 94 from engagement with front surfaces 90 of third lowermost packages 78. This permits package 78 in the chute from which the lowermost package 42 was ejected, and those packages stacked thereon, to fall until they rest on package 70.

It may thus be seen that fingers 94 support the third lowermost package 78 during the period in which second lowermost package 70 is falling, so that package 70 can freely fall and shift into the proper position without interference from package 78.

Summary of the invention In summary, the broader aspects of the invention relate to sequential dispensing of articles, wherein the third lowermost package 78 is supported while the second lowermost package 70 freely falls to replace the lowermost package 40 which has been dispensed. The packages (except package 40) are stacked in chute 28 with their front edges lower than their rear edges. Preferably package 78 is supported by engagement of its front surface 90 by a finger 94 which extends through an aperture 88 in the front wall 30 of the chute, with movement of the finger synchronized with ejection of package 40. Although this synchronization has been described as mechanically achieved by cam 96 in cooperation with arm 50, other means of synchronization may be employed. In its broader aspects, other means than the illustrated finger 94 can be used for supporting package 78, although some means for engaging surface 90 is presently preferred. Fingers 94 may be individually selectively movable rather than being ganged on shaft 80, if desired, although the disclosed ganged operation is simple and reliable.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for dispensing packages, comprising the steps of:

(A) supporting the lowermost of said packages in a substantially horizontal position on a dispensing support surface;

(B) supporting at least second and third lowermost parallel packages above said lowermost package between parallel walls separated by a distance less than the distance between the front and rear end surfaces of said packages, said second and third packages having their front end surfaces lower than their rear end surfaces, with the lowest front edge of said second package resting on said lowermost package and the lowermost surface of said third package resting on the uppermost surface of said second lowermost package.

(C) ejecting said lowermost package;

(D) supporting said third package while permitting said second package to fall away from said third package and lie flat on said support surface in said substantially horizontal position; and

(E) permitting said third package to fall onto and rest on said second package with the lowest front edge of said third package resting on the upper surface of said second package.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said step of supporting said third package while permitting said second package to fall includes the step of engaging the front end surface of said third package.

3. In a vending machine having at least one gravityfeed chute for feeding a column of packages to the lowermost delivery position on a generally horizontal support surface, wherein the horizontal dimensions of said chute are less than the length of the packages such that all packages except the lowermost said package lie diagonally therein with their front end surfaces lower than their rear end surfaces, the combination therewith of:

(A) means for ejecting the lowermost package from beneath said column; and

(B) means for supporting the third lowermost package in said diagonal position in said chute while the second lowermost package falls away from said third lowermost package to rest on said surface.

4. The machine defined in claim 3, wherein said means for supporting said third lowermost package engages the front end surface of said third lowermost package.

5. In a dispensing machine adaptable to handle extralength packages, said machine comprising:

(A) at least one gravity-feed chute having forward, rear and side walls and having a bottom surface, said forward wall terminating above said bottom surface to define therewith a dispensing slot through which packages can be successively ejected;

(B) the dimensions of said chute being less than the length of the packages and such that the lowermost said package can lie on said lower surface with its front edge protruding through said slot beyond said forward wall, while at least second and third lowermost and all further said packages can rest diagonally in said chute with their front end surfaces lower than their rear end surfaces; and

(C) feed means for ejecting said lowermost package forwardly through said slot;

an adaptor for adapting said machine to dispense said packages, comprising:

(D) engaging means for temporarily supporting said third lowermost inclined package during ejection of said lowermost package, whereby said second lowermost package can fall to rest on said bottom surface unhindered by said third lowermost package.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5, wherein said engaging means engages said front end surface of said third lowermost package.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said engaging means includes:

(A) a finger pivotally mounted outside said chute; and

(B) synchronizing means for synchronizing movement of said finger with said feed means.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein said synchronizing means includes a cam actuated by said feed means.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein:

(A) said synchronizing means includes a cranked shaft on which said finger is mounted; and

(B) means coupling said cranked portion of said shaft with said feed means, whereby said finger is pivoted into and out of engagement with said third lowermost package in synchronism with movement of said feed means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,108,713 10/1963 Fazekas 221-201 X STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

